Do they use Chauffeurs or Drivers

You may ask yourself what the difference is between a driver and a chauffeur – they both take me from point A to point B. The differences are astounding – a chauffeur is a trained professional, trained not only in the operation of the vehicle but the utmost in customer service. A chauffeur knows how to be properly attired, how to only speak until spoken to, and how to hold your confidentiality in the highest regard.

Customer Service Availability

It goes without saying that outstanding customer service needs to be present. Customer Service personnel need to be knowledgeable, respectful and efficient. All of that being said; they need to be available when you need them. They need to be available by phone and email 24 hours a day seven days a week. You want to make sure that you are not getting an answering service or worse yet an answering machine – you need to reach a live person who can help you.

Billing Procedures

The billing process needs to be efficient and seamless. Once your trip is complete, your provider needs to provide accurate billing within 24 hours of trip completion. There should be no surprises on your bill. It should be very close to the quoted amount, adjusted only for an overage for extended time, tolls, or the like.

Fleet Age and Diversity

As you can image, there are several operators out there that try to use their fleet past their useful life. It is important that the operator that you evaluating is not using their vehicles for more than 5 years and that have relatively low mileage. As with any vehicle, the mileage and age of the vehicle can result in safety and potential service interruption that no customer should be subjected to.

Change and Cancellation Polices

The company should have established Change and Cancellation Policies in place. You need to review these as all of our lives are busy and changes do happen and you need to understand what the company will penalize you for changes. This is a major differentiator in the transportation provider arena. You need a company who puts you first and is flexible to meet your needs.

Technology

You want to make sure that the company you are using uses technology to its full advantage to streamline the entire process. The reservations system is the heartbeat of any company. The more of the mundane tasks that technology can automate; the less likely you are to have human errors. Additionally, you will want to be able to book and manage your trips online.

Testimonials

Whenever you are selecting any vendor, it is always good to see what other people have to say. Testimonials and references are great ways to do this. While many operators have testimonials and references on-line, you can still request to speak with a current client. Also, social media has never made it easier to see what people are saying about a company’s performance.

Flexibility

This one seems to be harder and harder to find. While it is important that a company have structure and procedures, they need to remember that you are the customer. As the customer, they need to do whatever they can in their power to meet your needs. If you want a certain flavored beverage in the car, they should be accommodating. If you need to change your routing, they need to be accommodating. Asking a few questions on the front end with the customer service team will reflect on the management attitude toward putting the customer first.

Pricing

Pricing should never be a surprise. Pricing needs to be all inclusive. You do not want to be surprised at the end of your journey to find that you have fuel surcharges, airport taxes and the like. You need to understand whether or not gratuity is included or not. Tolls are generally not included and should only be billed at actual toll rates and for tolls incurred.

Communication

Communication is the key to a successful journey. How is the communication with the customer service team when you made your reservation? You should receive a reservation confirmation shortly after your reservation. You should also be given your chauffeurs cell phone close to your trip so that you can reach them quickly and expeditiously when trying to meet up. Clearly, if here are any issues with the service it should be easy to get to a manager who can quickly resolve your issue.